University-wide publications

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace.njala.edu.sl/handle/20.500.144402/132

Browse

Filters

2010 - 201912020 - 202620

Advanced Search

Filter by

Settings

Has files: No

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 22
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Assessing Management Supports to the Internal Audit Function in Kenema District Council, Eastern Sierra Leone
    (2021) Sheriff, Sualiho; Sheriff, Sualiho; Sheriff, Sualiho
    Internal audit function adds value to organization’s operations, but management support to internal audit function with resources and commitment accomplishes effectiveness. This study attempted to investigate the management support to the internal audit function for its effectiveness in Kenema District Council. The specific objectives were to: 1) examine respondents’ perception on management support to the internal audit function in Kenema District Council; 2) examine the levels of the management support to the internal audit function; and determine the relationship between management support and internal audit function effectiveness. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study was carried out in the Kenema District located in the Eastern Region of Sierra Leone. Kenema District consists of 16 Chiefdoms and 25 Wards, 8 Constituencies and 94 Sections. The research population comprised of all Kenema District Council officers. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 13 council officers who are previewed to the internal audit process. A pre-tested validated questionnaire with reliability of 0.765 was administered to the 13 officers from 13th–20th December, 2020. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and Excel. Most respondents affirmed that the council designs policies (92.3%), monitors and evaluates (76.2%), and approves audit documents (84.6%). Also, (53.8%) of the respondents strongly greed that there is a relationship between management support and internal audit function effectiveness. In conclusion, Kenema District council management supports the internal audit function through various means. Some management supports are insufficient and others sufficient. It is recommended that management improves support rendered to the audit department for effective and efficient operations. Let the internal audit department be independent. Also, the council seriously considers other drivers of internal audit function efficacy.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Growing of Tomatoes using a Remote Sensing Technology
    (Zenodo, 2024-08-24) Amadu, Fatorma
    In this research, we analyze how satellite or drone images utilizing remote sensing technology can be used to monitor tomato cropland health, growth parameters, and soil status. It provides data for farmers on fertilization rates, irrigation levels as well as pest control measures hence improving their yield and reducing their effects on environment. The technology of satellite based irrigation management has enabled farmers to monitor vast farmlands non-invasively through accurate data thereby reducing costs of farming and facilitating personalized farming assistances. Water supply is optimal to tomatoes since this technique entails precision in terms of amount hence eliminating causes of too much watering damages; excess moisture loss and too much expansive united with no possibility of fit tomatoes production within the same area consequently giving a yield of better quality fruits which could result from improved genetics due to application of appropriate dosages. The satellite images play an important role in balancing water availability thus increasing agricultural productivity. Early detection with remote sensing methods helps farmers deal with pest infestations before they reach serious levels. This minimizes over reliance on chemicals in managing these pests thereby supporting environmentally-friendly agricultural practices Yang, H. (2011). Similarly, when planting tomatoes for example, remote sensing can help farmers determine disease prone areas within their farms besides guiding them on when to irrigate based on varying moisture demands presented by plants at different stages. However, these technologies have high upfront costs but they come with numerous advantages.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 in nine sub-Saharan African countries
    (BMJ Publishing Group, 2020) Lessells, Richard John
    Lockdown measures have been introduced worldwide to contain the transmission of COVID-19. However, the term ‘lockdown’ is not well-defined. Indeed, WHO’s reference to ‘so-called lockdown measures’ indicates the absence of a clear and universally accepted definition of the term ‘lockdown’. We propose a definition of ‘lockdown’ based on a two-by-two matrix that categorises different communicable disease measures based on whether they are compulsory or voluntary; and whether they are targeted at identifiable individuals or facilities, or whether they are applied indiscriminately to a general population or area. Using this definition, we describe the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. While there were some commonalities in the implementation of lockdown across these countries, a more notable finding was the variation in the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures. We also found that the number of reported cases is heavily dependent on the number of tests carried out, and that testing rates ranged from 2031 to 63 928 per million population up until 7 September 2020. The reported number of COVID-19 deaths per million population also varies (0.4 to 250 up until 7 September 2020), but is generally low when compared with countries in Europe and North America. While lockdown measures may have helped inhibit community transmission, the pattern and nature of the epidemic remains unclear. However, there are signs of lockdown harming health by affecting the functioning of the health system and causing social and economic disruption.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Career Achievements of Traditional Musicians of Sierra Leone: The Cases of Jeneba Koroma, Bobby P., and Kposowai
    (School of Basic Education, Njala University, 2026-09-17) Vandy, Edmond
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    June 2021 workshop sessions on learning & teaching critical thinking skills (level 2) at Njala University in Sierra Leone
    (Zenodo, 2021-06-09) Allie, Georgiana
    PowerPoint slides and facilitation notes that were used in a critical thinking (CT) workshop (level 2) with lecturers and other staff at Njala University in Sierra Leone. The sessions were facilitated by AQHEd-SL's critical thinking taskforce (CTTF) in June 2021.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    2021 workshop sessions on learning & teaching critical thinking skills in Higher Education in Sierra Leone (level 2)
    (Zenodo, 2021-02-25) Allie, Georgiana
    PowerPoint slides, facilitation notes and handouts that were used in critical thinking (CT) sessions of the pedagogy 2 workshop for lecturers from higher education institutions in Sierra Leone. The sessions were facilitated by AQHEd-SL's critical thinking taskforce (CTTF) in 2020 and 2021.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Sociodemographic and clinical determinants of in-facility case fatality rate for 938 Ebola patients treated in Sierra Leone
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019-06-29) Kangbai, Jia Bainga
    Background The 2013 – 2016 West Africa Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak recorded the highest incidence and mortality since the discovery of the virus in Zaire in 1976. Studies relating to previous outbreaks usually involved small sample sizes. In this study we are set to identify those sociodemographic and clinical features that predict in-facility mortality among EVD patients using a large sample size. Methods We analysed the anonymized medical records of 938 laboratory-confirmed EVD patients 15 years old and above that received treatment at the 34 Military Hospital and the Police Training School EVD Treatment Centers in Sierra Leone in the period June 2014 to April 2015. We used both univariable and multivariable logistic regression to determine the predictors for in-facility mortality of these patients based on their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results The median age of the EVD cases was 33 years (interquartile range = 25 to 40 years). The majority of the EVD cases were male (59.0%) and had secondary level education (79.3%). A low overall in-facility case fatality rate of 26.4% was shown. The associations between case fatality rates and EVD patients who reported fever, abdominal pain, cough, diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue, haemorrhage, dysphagia, conjunctival injection, dyspnoea, and skin rash at the time of admission were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Our preferred model with age group of EVD patients and the presence of the symptoms diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue, dysphagia, conjunctival injection, dyspnoea and muscle pain produced a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with an AUC (area under the curve) value of 0.94. Conclusions The age of EVD patients, as well those patients who reported vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, dysphagia, conjunctival injection, dyspnoea and muscle pain have increased odds of dying during treatment and hence will require prompt and intensive treatment at the time of admission. We argue that the high proportion of individuals with higher educational levels may have been a critical determinant for the low case fatality rate.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Restructuring Experimental Schools in Sierra Leone: A Model for Sustainable Teacher Education
    (figshare, 2025-01-31) Dumbuya, Emmanuel
    Experimental schools play a crucial role in shaping educational policies and practices, serving as pilot institutions where innovative pedagogical strategies are tested before widespread implementation (Schweisfurth, 2013). The Njala University Experimental School, established to bridge the gap between teacher education and practice, has struggled in recent years due to severe teacher shortages. This deficiency has weakened the school’s effectiveness, contradicting its foundational purpose. Data indicates that the teacher shortage at Njala University Experimental School is primarily due to the expansion from primary to senior secondary, non-replacement of retired teachers, deceased educators, and the low remuneration for part-time or contractual teachers. This paper proposes a restructuring program that integrates an exchange teaching initiative, whereby third and fourth-year university students serve as community volunteer teachers as part of their professional internship. This model aligns with global best practices in teacher training and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education (UNESCO, 2015).
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Health records from hospitalized adults with malaria during 2019 at Bo Government Hospital, Sierra Leone
    (Dryad, 2023-02-09) Aimone, Ashley
    We performed a chart review of adults admitted to Bo Government Hospital during 2019. Of 893 admissions,149 (59% female, mean age 58.5 years) had a laboratory diagnosis of malaria and 22 (14.8%) died. Mortality was significantly higher among patients with severe malaria compared with those who had non-severe malaria (6/20 \[30%\] versus 16/129 \[12.4%\], p=0.031). Our data suggest that malaria is a common cause of death in hospitalized Sierra Leonean adults.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Njala University Developing Skills, Trade Knowledge, and Entrepreneurial Mindsets for a Sustainable Future
    (figshare, 2025-01-25) Dumbuya, Emmanuel
    Njala University, as one of the leading higher education institutions in Sierra Leone, stands at the forefront of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within its academic framework. This paper explores how Njala University can enhance its role in empowering students through targeted skills development, trade education, and entrepreneurial initiatives. By integrating practical training with theoretical learning, the university can cultivate a generation of innovative leaders equipped to contribute to the sustainable development of their communities and the nation as a whole.